THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 12

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

The frozen meat trade to-day presents features which invite attention in the interests particularly of South Island sheep owners. The New Zealand Meat Control Board attends to the distribution of our frozen meat, or, rather, endeavours to widen the avenues of demand and popularise the meat itself, but it rests with the producers to furnish the quality of meat in demand. The question arises, Do producers realise that success in the lamb export trade rests, in a very great measure, with themselves? The approaching ram fairs in the South Island suggest several matters in this connection which may well be ventilated with a view to improving ' matters in time for next season’s trade. It may be possible and practicable by well-considered methods to so arrange things that graziers, particularly along the coastal lands of Otago and Southland, can continue lamb raising and the fattening of lambs and wethers with increased keenness, and avoid meeting with the comparatively disastrous results experienced this year for the pick of their milk lambs. All will agree that there is need for a radical change of policy in order to make the most of our opportunities. There is practically always a good demand for the best of our lambs, and it should be our aim supply that demand. The Meat Control Board has not, and possibly cannot, suggest a means of overcoming this particular Otago and Southland trouble—i.e., the supplying of an inordinate percentage of heavyweight lambs before the works are open, a trouble fostered, in a measure, by the freezing companies which have not seriously discouraged the production of overweight lambs. The by-products of the lamb trade, it is presumed, have been too great a lure for most of the companies, as the heavier the lamb carcases the greater the value of the perquisites of the companies—viz., the byproducts—with the result that the real trade in light prime lambs is jeopardised. Certainly the companies to day indicate their policy very plainly by offering differential prices, but unfortunately the producer of prime lambs is caught with overweight lambs, and cannot escape. He can, however, be warned in time, and prepare for next season’s business. The depreciation in value of our lamb trade is in a measure due to factors not altogether outside the farmer’s province. If it is possible to supply the demand for lightweight lambs it should be done. This season it is anticipated that producers will not only market fewer lambs than last season, owing to a moderate lambing and the probable retention of a larger number of ewe lambs than usual, but their money value will be considerably less. Last season producers received more than value for their lambs. This season it is a different story. Farmers should endeavour to meet the anticipated conditions of next season by arranging the “ drop ” of lambs some time later than customary on our heavier class of land. Viewing the lamb trade to-day in the southern parts of the South Island, we find lambs making, approximately, B§d to 9d per lb for lambs under 801 b, 7M to 421 b, and but to 501 b; hut what a miserable percentage of lambs will weigh out under 361 b! Canterbury, on the other hand, realises 9sd for prime lambs up to 361 b, B.Jd to 421 b, and 7ld for overweights, and yet complains of too many of their lambs being overweight by the time the works are opened for the season’s killing. We are referring to those sheep owners grazing big crossbred ewes or occupying land other than those areas which may be considered the home of the finer wodlled sheep—the halfbreds and their near cousins. It is not solely a question of breeding and environment. In the earlier days of the frozen meat trade the idea was, rightly or wrongly, to produce early lambs in order to catch the trade demand. In Otago and Southland, we are inclined to think, this Ims been overdone. It is suggested that the Home supply of lambs has now been more or less stabilised. The absorption of exportable lambs of suitable weights may i)c considered to be fairly steady, although breaks at Homo in lninb values may at times occur as the result of unforeseen trade conditions, etc. It seems therefore that we should view with equanimity the early market-

ing in London of large quantities of North Island milk and other lambs, followed by Canterbury, and then by Otago and Southland, and in the circumstances adopt such measures as will permit of producers at this end of New Zealand securing top values for a much larger percentage of their lambs than has been the case in the past. In this connection two methods may be suggested as practical and worthy of a trial: (1) The use of Down rams on portion of the ewe hocks where conditions are suitable. It would be folly to use Down rams solely in the ewe flock, as some crossbred ewe lambs must be “saved’’ in order to replace culled ewes, and, besides, no one wants to “carry” Down lambs over the winter. (2) Postponing the date of joining up the rams with the ewes for three, four, or five weeks. It is generally recognised that the relatively small, well-finished lamb is in demand, and we appreciate, or should appreciate, ths*fact that delaying the date of turning out the “tups” would mean lambing at a time when there is usually a flush of feed. In marked contrast to what is not infrequent at present—lambs everywhere and very little feed, the ewes “busting” for a living, and lambs dying for lack of nourishment, or lambs doing fairly well and making flesh so fast that by the time the works open most of the paddock lambs are overweight. If the “drop” of lambs was timed to suit the feed, the works on opening would kill, it is anticipated, lambs around the desired weights and making the most money per lb, and could go full steam ahead. At present we find a fair number of lambs are ready too early in the season, and there is only the local demand. The local market once supplied, a big proportion of the remaining lambs continue to put on condition until such time as the freezing works open, when they realise prices commensurate with low-grade stuff. The quality of our lambs at present is restricted by failure to get them away when of the most desirable weights, and the lack of feed, not unusual in early spring. A sorry state of things, surely, which can be remedied.

“Facts are chiels which winna ding,” someone has wisely said. The modern tendency is for younger lambs, wethers, and cattle—in a word, for smaller joints. If we turn to beef we find that the British meat trade is insistent on this fact. The Department of Lands and Agriculture in the Irish Free State has issued an informative leaflet on the subject. It is noteworthy that in all references to oversea competition in beef production only Canada and Argentina are mentioned, Australia and New Zealand apparently being considered practically negligible factors. The leaflet states that during recent years there lias been a considerable change in the trend of markets for fat stock, until the whole tendency in the first-class trade is now towards a small carcase, well finished at an early age. Since the consuming public demand younger beef and smaller joints, the country which meets that demand will capture the most remunerative market. The call of the butcher for a smaller carcase is a natural sequence to the call of his customers for smaller joints, and what the public wants will eventually best pay the farmer to produce. The official leaflet says, that notwithstanding a certain measure of improvement which has already been achieved, it has to be admitted that many farmers are still breeding and feeding cattle in a haphazard manner, without any definite object in view. This can only result in confusion, lack of uniformity, and the production of a large number of weedy animals. One piece of advice is printed in italics, and this applies almost as forcibly to overseas countries as to the Irish Free State. “There is one fact which stands out clearly, and that is, whether we continue to market our cattle alive, as stores or fats, or whether we engage in the dressed meat trade, we small joints in' all classes of meat, if our fanners are heedless of presentday demands.” Although the foregoing reference has to do with beef, its application in connection with this Dominion’s exportable lamb and mutton is every bit as pertinent. The public wants

small joints in till euasses of meat. Well, then, it is imperative to supply that demand in ever-increasing quantities, and so secure the highest prices per lb ruling in the Home markets.